Former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan said the World Test Championship points table forced Australia to name a full-strength squad for their upcoming Test series against Bangladesh in Darwin starting on August 13.
Australia named premium fast bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood alongside spinner Nathan Lyon for the fixtures. Current Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto viewed the strong selection as a marker of his team’s progress in Test cricket.
Shakib rejected that idea during an interview with Indian media outlet RevSportz. He attributed the squad strength to tournament points and the standard professionalism of top tier cricket nations.
“Teams like Australia, England, India and South Africa give immense importance to Test cricket,” Shakib said. “They prioritise fielding their best strength over who or where they are playing. Therefore, seeing them pick their best team did not shock me at all.”
Shakib pointed to the recent international calendar as another factor behind the selection.
“I think since this series is part of the World Test Championship, they do not want to lose any crucial points. Besides, all their players had adequate rest, so they can easily field their best XI,” he said.
Bangladesh last played a Test series in Australia 23 years ago. Shakib retired from international cricket before this tour began.
